Old Guard is a 2020 American action movie directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and written by Greg Rucka, based on his comic series of the same name. It stars Charlize Theron, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, KiKi Layne, Harry Melling, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The story revolves around a group of mercenaries who are immortal and have lived for thousands of years. They have fought in several wars, rescued citizens, and almost served as gods to mortal beings. But humans being humans, their good side is overlooked, and their immortality is exploited by a scientist, Merrick, who is bent on using them for discoveries, fame, and profits. Old Guard explores themes of identity, loyalty, and the loneliness that could come with immortality.
Andy returned to her small group of mercenaries in Morocco, which consists of Booker, Joe, and Nicky. Booker informed her about a mission brought to them by CIA operative Copley, whom they have worked with before. Andy reminded Booker of their rule of not accepting a mission from someone twice. But she's persuaded by the other members of the team since they haven't worked in some years. Andy met with Copley and realized the mission involved rescuing children held hostage, and it must be done urgently before the children are transported to another place. Andy and her team went on the mission, where they're all killed in the process, but surprisingly, their wounds healed immediately, and they killed all the people who shot them.
Andy later realized they were never children to rescue but it was a setup by Copley. Their regenerative process has been recorded on a secret camera by Copley, who works with Merrick, CEO of Merrick Industries. Andy and her team set out to find Copley to kill him before he could let out their secret.
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In Afghanistan, a young U.S. Marine corporal named Nile got sliced on the throat and died. But she woke up a few hours later in the hospital to discover she's completely healed and has no scar on her throat. Her friends who saw her dead are baffled, and Andy herself is confused by how she's sound, healthy, and with no scar. She had dreams about the mercenaries and vice versa. Andy set out to find her in Afghanistan and abducted her. Nile had a tough time believing Andy and understanding her immortality nature. She dreams of Quynh, Andy's first companion who was unjustly caged in iron maiden and thrown into the deepest part of the sea.
I'm very amazed by how talented the female lead, Charlize Theron (Andy), is. KiKi Layne as Nile was also incredible, and the entire cast delivered well. The only character that felt robotic was Merrick (the antagonist). At some point, I even questioned if he was an AI. Maybe that's how he was meant to come across, but he still gave me the chills. This isn't a jump-scare gore movie, but I couldn't count how many times I paused my breath, opened my eyes wide, and mentally fought alongside these mercenaries, especially Andy.
The plot twist is exciting and the actors are very talented. I like how we, the audience, could feel the characters' emotions, love, and pains. I appreciate the fact that the flashbacks are not frequent; instead, they're shown in the form of short scenes, photos, and newspapers.
The way the film ended suggests a sequel, in which we'll get to know Quynh and the strange, strong woman Nile dreams about. I'm also wondering what the relationship between Quynh and Andy will be, given Quynh's demeanor exudes hatred and a grudge towards Booker, her once-companion friend.
Old Guard is a must-watch. It's a unique blend of action, drama, and fantasy that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Even if you're not typically into superhero movies, im sure the film's themes and characters will resonate with you.
It's a 4.7 out of 5 for me.
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